Dieting

We know dieting is not easy for those stable souls out there...it's near impossible for us as we don't possess the stability of mind over long periods of time.

Obesity has plagued our family for a long time. Two of my aunties reached 180kg+ in their time. My sister after decades of diets reached 164kg last xmas. Then in January had the Gastric Bypass operation. Now, 6 months later she is 120kg and by xmas 100kg is expected. He goal? 80kg.

Ive decided that isn't for me, mainly for financial reasons and my own belief for myself. See, Last April also after years of dieting I maxed out at 142kg. I'm 6ft tall and ex weightlifter so my frame is large, still it was the last straw. I knew that diets didn't work for me. It was to be a total lifestyle change or nothing at all.

Our lifestyle change includes moving towards what is easily achievable

• Walking. Not running not jogging. Walking our dog at a brisk pace at say 2-4 kms - 20-50 minutes but say 3-4 times a week.
• Good breakfast with fibre. Wheat biscuits with bran and a banana although bottled cherries in cherry juice is sometimes swapped as cherries is good to keep gout away.
• Lunch- a wrap with ham or chicken and salad.
• Afternoon tea- I make bran muffins with pears. easy to make and fills me up, just one. I use a sugar supplement in my cooking but not all. Brown sugar a little.
• Dinner. We use a slow cooker to make casseroles. Heaps of veggies, cabbage is almost in every dinner or sprouts or broccoli.
• Dessert, fresh fruit and Greek yogurt.
• Snacks? Ryvita.

So the result in 12 weeks is I'm down to 130 kg, 12 kg loss. I walk up and down stairs normally not one step with my left leg first etc. I'm fitter. I "feel" slim. But I have a long way to go. My goal 105kg. 25 to go. I haven't been 105kg since 1985.

We still have our cappuccino at cafes. It's made with skinny milk. We still have our cake on the rare occasion....we halve it now. We have fish and chips!! We cook Barramundi from the supermarket without batter or crumbs and oven bake sweet potato chips.

I love cooking. Tonight I'll make cabbage rolls. Boil a full or one half a cabbage for 20 minutes. Roll some mince meat with salt, onion, silver beet and mixed herbs. Roll into cabbage leaves. Wrap the rolls in some bacon strips. Bake in a baking tray in low water for 45 minutes. Serve with fetta cheese and beans.

Gone and not considered for consumption is- Bread (wrap are ok), pastry, sugar in large amounts and excess fat.

We are going Chinese tomorrow night. We used to get one dish each (eg lemon chicken, pork with plum sauce) special fried rice, Singapore noodles and 2 entree each. Now we not only halve that whole package...we take home what we haven't eaten for the next days lunch. But we still go Chinese!

I hope this has helped. A good eating habit and exercise is recommended by all medical people. Moderation and lifestyle change works for us.

WK